While you can read this story and all the comments under it and come up with your own judgements, it comes as no surprise that these bonuses were handed out. This city has thrown money in the burn barrel like it is going out of style. While I don’t have a problem with bonuses, what I can’t understand is the point of handing bonuses to people who make over $90,000 a year? Are they so f’ing strapped that if they don’t get that extra Grand or Three Grand they won’t be able to make ends meet? It’s like, “Oh, you weren’t able to buy that leather couch for your den, here’s a couple of grand, just laying around, go for it! It’s just working class, taxpayer’s money.,” I hope the next mayor, whoever they are, cleans this house of corruption and greed up.
It makes me sick.
It appears that they are also over-paid. Why aren’t these government employees earning the state median salary; or a salary comparable to that earned by state employees doing essentially the same work?
Sioux Falls taxpayers sure have a lot of money to throw away. Maybe they can cough up funds for next years state budget deficit.
I don’t know if they are overpaid, I just think it is silly to give bonuses to people who already make good money while denying the little guys a raise.
Where does the line start for applications?
I want one of these cushy city jobs that pay 3 times higher than the average Sioux Falls wage…
Why should anyone ever tip more than 15%?
Isn’t my waiter or waitress already being paid to bring me my food and drink?
(end sarcasm)
You say you don’t have a problem with bonus’, while at the same time not suggesting these people are overpaid…but your rant’s point is they make enough already to the point of being sick.
So yes, you do have a problem with bonuses. City employees take a lot of crap and of course there are some that deserve it. But, like most large organizations they mostly just show up and do their jobs well, many times exceptionally well. You have to remember that a City employee doesn’t have much of a chance to advance up the chain like people in private businesses do. Private business’ want to grow to gain market & revenues, which leads to opportunities to advance. Also, many times a private sector employee has multiple options to do the same job without having to relocate. It’s not the same with the City, it’s not like a clerk or supervisor can say: “Hey, Sioux City’s paying 8% more, can I have a raise?” The answer would be: “Fine, move there”
Municipalities want to grow at the rate of the population, or at least that should be the yardstick.
This City has gone through some challenges recently and it’s appropriate to thank and compensate people who’ve knuckled down and done their jobs well. This money, for the most part, will be spent, saved or invested locally so there’s no reason anyone should be pist about these bonuses.
Maybe even a few will go out and eat and tip 25-30%.
Kevin Smith takes $116,500. I was at a deposition where he testified and had to produce his schedule. His schedule was bare.
They’re overpaid and underqualified. There’s 1600 city employees. Try and find just one when you walk into city hall. At least put out a sign like ‘Gone Fishing’ and learn how to forge time sheets.
I’m sure enough cuts could be made to more than pay for a convention center. Many city employees do not live in the city and there would hardly be a property tax shortfall.
This City has gone through some challenges recently and it’s appropriate to thank and compensate people who’ve knuckled down and done their jobs well. This money, for the most part, will be spent, saved or invested locally so there’s no reason anyone should be pist about these bonuses.
~Sy
Sure, MOST city employees do their jobs well. But to compensate management fulltimers who already make way more than their private counterparts $16,000 and then tell the $11.00 an hour part timers with zero bennies to go make croutans is just flat wrong. Many of those employees who worked their tails off to keep YOUR streets cleared this winter were these part timers.
Oh pulease. I don’t believe most of you have ever worked for a non-profit or a company that watches every dime. The pay for the jobs the city people are doing are within the limits of acceptable. Do you want individuals working that have no experience, aren’t willing to do much more than the basic? Oh sure, there are some people that are that way…but NOT EVERYONE. Love the bucket mentality. Put everyone in the bucket so therefore they are all the same. $1,000 bonus net is probably $750 if that. Kudos to the city employees who continue to work towards a better tomorrow! Besides, you want your income splashed to the public? See how many people think YOU do anything.
You are all missing the bigger point here.
1) The city is not a ‘for profit’ enterprise, so why are they handing out ‘bonuses’ to begin with?
2) What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. If they can hand out bonuses to their employees that already are well compensated, then they can give the low ones on the totem pole a raise to. It seems city hall is talking out of both sides of their mouths on this one. Either you have the money for compensation or you don’t.
You guys can’t have it both ways.
You want the City run as efficiently as possible and you demand them to do so within their means (ie budget).
That said, why should the City hire a full timer and pay benes/pensions (or Union contract rates) when the same task can be accomplished with part time labor?
A lot of the part timers are taking those jobs precisely because they need the extra income in their family. You don’t like the hourly rates, but the City doesn’t set the local labor rates, it simply follows the free market. Anything more would be fiscally irresponsible.
PG, it’s a lot of work to be ready for that KELO/KSFY/KDLT/CityLink safety tips segments.
The city at any given time has about 400 part time employees. The overwhelming majority of those 400 are making $11.00 an hour AND less. With zero bennies. I might also add they are working there not to supplement their income, but as the only job they have, or can get in this town.
So $8.50 to $11.00 an hour, no bennies, and no working more than 1400 hours in one year is simply following the free market? Handing out $16,000 in bonus money to people already in six figures is simply following the free market? Excuse me if I LMFAO at that rationale.
How many other options do you see in this town for part time work at $10-$11 an hour?
They could put 200 of those people on full time at $11 and by the time you add on the benes & added costs of them you’d spend $2 to $3 million more than they spend now for the exact same work being done.
Next time you see your favorite mayor candidate, ask him why he isn’t advocating this approach than you can LYFAO to his face while he does the same to you.
I have to agree with Sy on this one – I have no problem with these bonuses and if they are paid for going above and beyond then they make sense. Now if this was just a way to get around the fact that city employees didn’t get their normal pay raise this year then that is a seperate issue.
However I think the policy should apply equally to all – and I’m sure there are more than a few lower level employees worthy of such a reward as well. I have a hard time believing that the only employees worthy of bonuses were department heads and higher level management.
six figure salaries…get your reading glasses on or have your eyes checked…there are TWO people at six figures.
You have no idea if the people below these managers are getting appreciation for a job well done or going above and beyond.
So much speculation and “know it all” attitude (I guess it takes one to know one – as I look in the mirror!)
How will we retain such talent without these bonuses?
They could put 200 of those people on full time at $11 and by the time you add on the benes & added costs of them you’d spend $2 to $3 million more than they spend now for the exact same work being done.
And therein lies the reason why we no longer have a middle class America anymore. Just the working poor and those few who want us to believe in the “trickle down” effect.
“You have no idea if the people below these managers are getting appreciation for a job well done or going above and beyond.”
There is a difference between a $3000 check and a ‘Thank You.’
Poly: And therein lies the reason why we no longer have a middle class America anymore. Just the working poor and those few who want us to believe in the “trickle down†effect.
Surely you jest. I’m not working poor, and I’ve never been a fan of trickle down economics either. I’m as middle class as a person could get, so don’t be so dramatic. The middle class is alive and well – the whole concept of class warfare is blown way out of proportion.
And all the while the city is dishing out bonuses there are many people packing 2500-3000 backpacks for kids to take home for the weekend because they don’t get enough to eat on the weekends. Strikes me the city fathers have their priorities all wrong.
Stop being so overdramatic Helga. Costner is not working poor, therefore there is no problem. Be happy. 🙂
Helga.
Where does one help pack 2500-3000 backpacks for kids to take home for the weekend?
Poly- I think it is through the Banquet or Food Bank, but don’t quote me on that. It is pretty sad when over 700 of Sioux Falls school kids are homeless and our city is handing out $3000 bonus checks because a couple of managers figured out how to scoop snow really quick.
I’m as middle class as a person could get, so don’t be so dramatic.
cosm
Is that right cosm? There were 135,110 jobs in this town as of September 2009. 33,777 of those jobs pay less than $10.62 an hour. 67,555 of those jobs pay LESS than $14.00 an hour. That $14.00 an hour is the exact middle of ALL Sioux Falls salaries. So…is this the salary range you fall under cosm…you bein’ as middle class as a person can get?
The city cuts food pantry assistance, bows out of a homeless shelter with the county, and runs the salvation army out of town with zoning police but there’s still money for bonuses and 6 figure salaries.
Sympathetic citizen volunteers pack 2500 packs so kids will have something to eat on weekends when they’re not at school.
Many city employees don’t even live in the city limits. They sit back at their Ponderosa’s while people that pay them scrounge through bins behind restaurants and food stores.
However you define hell. It’s meant for upper eschelon city employees.
Should have given them all gift certificates to the Ground Round instead.
Poly: So…is this the salary range you fall under cosm…you bein’ as middle class as a person can get?
I was born middle class, raised middle class, and remain middle class. My salary and IRS1040 forms are none of your damn business.
That said, you might want to actually look up what it means to be middle class. It does not have a 1:1 relation to the median income for a region and has more to do with socioeconomic status.
poly: Costner is not working poor, therefore there is no problem.
Yet another mis-characterization. I never said there wasn’t a problem… in fact I feel we have a huge problem with homelessness, poverty, unemployment and underemployment. However, you suggested we no longer have a middle class in America – and that is simply incorrect. One might argue the middle class is shrinking or that it isn’t as prosperous as it once was… those are perhaps valid arguments – but to suggest it no longer exists is nothing short of fantasy.
So aside from the straw man arguments, if you wish to discuss it further by all means form a legitimate argument and present it rather than resorting to distortions and fabrications as you so often do.
That’s almost a snowgate. Enjoy those leather couches, assholes!
Funny. No money for snowgate experiments, but plenty for bonuses to guys who refuse to use them.
Gawd I hope the next council and mayor have a clue, or my liver is gonna shut down.
you might want to actually look up what it means to be middle class. It does not have a 1:1 relation to the median income for a region and has more to do with SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS.
Play that song and dance in front of the 67,555 in this town who make LESS than $14.00 an hour. You’ll be a real hit.
SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS. Big words cosm.
But in the end….Big hat. No cattle.
Well pardon me for thinking people should understand the concepts behind the words they choose to use. I guess that is my error… feel free to continue assuming middle class actually means “median income”, but keep in mind it makes you look rather foolish by doing so.
Nice job defending your original statement about no longer having a middle class by the way. Oh wait – you didn’t do that, because you were too busy trying to get in yet another personal jab at me when I pointed out the flaws in your argument. Nice job.
Again, you can (and do) piss and moan all day about how totally fuct we are Economically, but the statistics associated with that type of SOCIOECONOMIC environment simply aren’t available to back up that argument in any way.
Not saying we are perfect, but we are better off than 95% of the Nation, and some credit should (although in no way ever will) flow the the City leadership for doing what they can to keep us in that percentile.
As for the bonuses themselves, 1K to 3K on that level isn’t extravagent and about half is gone to income taxes anyway. Taxes that will flow to the bottom 50% of taxpayers (those poor bastards Poly refers to) as refunds anyway. Those people pay no income tax at all, and who’s refunds have “trickled down” from the likes of yours truly. So not only did the City employees get their leather couch, but they bought one for someone else as well.
BTW, if you are truly agaist “trickle down” the only consistent thing to do is to mail your rebate right back to the Treasury to put toward the debt or donate it. Otherwise you are being a hypocrite.
L3wis:
“Funny. No money for snowgate experiments, but plenty for bonuses to guys who refuse to use them.”
Isn’t a snowgate simply the City taking 15 minutes of shoveling/snowblowing time away from anyone who owns or rents a driveway?
Since time is money, isn’t this progessively stacked in favor of higher income earners?
Of course, since snowgates slow down the City’s plows, it will also cost more in labor to plow the same streets so we are actually talking about a double dip. We all get to pay a little more in taxes to buy and run these items and the benefit is weighted to the upper income people.
You live in an apartment? Go cut croutons and pray for someone to buy your leatyher couch for you.
So Snowgates = Monkey crappers & the Pavillion…saaahhweeeet!!!
Poly43 says Where does one help pack 2500-3000 backpacks for kids to take home for the weekend?
Lewis is right, it is the Food Bank of SD that organizes different groups from churches to service groups to high school and college groups to volunteer to fill bags for kids to take home.
I still think snowgates are a good idea. Personally, I don’t care if they keep snow out of my driveway, but I think they would be beneficial for people on emergency snow routes. Why should these people have to scoop out their driveway every couple of hours, when they are paying taxes for that service? It’s assinine.